When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. It's violent, vicious, and not for the faint of heart.

Over the past eight seasons, a lot of people on HBO's "Game of Thrones" have died. It's a game of survival, and you're lucky if you've made it this far.

Some of these characters came back from the dead. We barely knew some of them, and we knew a lot of them so well that we shed a tear or two (or 200) when we watched them die.

And others? We couldn't wait for them to die, and when they did, we were cheering.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with some exceptions), we ranked 118 notable deaths (and semi-deaths) from the least sad to the most sad — basically, the deaths of characters who had names, had more than a few lines, and/or had some kind of impact on a major plot point or a major character.

Note:Direwolves are exempt from this list.

1/

118. Ramsay Bolton

Ramsay Bolton was introduced on season three.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Ramsay Bolton was Roose Bolton's bastard son who had a penchant for extreme violence against innocent human beings. He was briefly married to Sansa Stark, and tortured Theon Greyjoy for several seasons. He also killed his dad, his stepmom, and his baby brother. And Rickon Stark. And Osha. And a lot of other people.

Time of death: Season six, episode nine, "Battle of the Bastards"

Cause of death: Sansa left him to be eaten by his own hounds.

Sadness ranking: -25. Ramsay's death is probably the most satisfying one on this whole show. His violence was gratuitous and he had zero redeeming qualities. Nobody loved him, not even his dad.

2/

117. Joffrey Baratheon

Joffrey Baratheon was the bastard son of Cersei and Jaime Lannister.
HBO

Starting with the execution of Ned Stark, Joffrey proved that he was completely out of control and wouldn't listen to anybody. He was a terrible king, and also a terrible person.

Time of death: Season four, episode two, "The Lion and the Rose"

Cause of death: Poisoned by Petyr Baelish and Olenna Tyrell at his wedding to Margery Tyrell.

Sadness ranking: -10. The only sad thing about Joffrey's death is that we don't get to hate him anymore. Joffrey was responsible for the untimely deaths of a lot of people who didn't deserve it.

3/

116. Walder Frey

Walder Frey was the Lord of the Crossing at the Twins, and for a brief period, the Lord of Riverrun. He had over 100 descendants, and so many daughters that he didn't even know some of their names. He never had a good reputation in Westeros, and was often called the "Late Walder Frey" after delaying his assistance in Robert's Rebellion until it was already won.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Arya Stark slit his throat after feeding him a pie, baked with the bodies of his own sons.

Sadness ranking: -8. He was responsible for the Red Wedding, plus he was really gross. Not sad, not even a little bit — but less satisfying than Joffrey's death, who got far more screen time.

4/

115. The Mountain (sort of)

The Mountain is played by Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus "Thor" Björnsson.
HBO

Gregor Clegane was a knight known as the Mountain. He would do anything for House Lannister, including terrorizing villages in the Riverlands, killing children and infants, and raping women (before killing them, too).

Time of death: Season four, episode eight, "The Mountain and the Viper"

Cause of death: Oberyn Martell stabbed him multiple times with a poisonous spear during Tyrion Lannister's trial by combat.

Sadness ranking: -5. He was a horrible man, and then he became a monstrous, murdering zombie. Plus, his sneaky death at the hands of Oberyn offered some delayed satisfaction.

5/

114. The Mountain (again)

After his reanimation, the Mountain typically kept his helmet on.
HBO

After his delayed death by poison, the Mountain was reanimated by Qyburn. He was turned into a silent, terrifying killer whose only goal was to protect Queen Cersei.

Cause of death: Tackled by his brother and pushed out of the Red Keep, into the burning city below.

Sadness ranking: -5. Everyone knew he would suffer for his crimes and be destroyed by the Hound, and everyone was glad when it finally happened.

6/

113. Ser Meryn Trant

Meryn Trant was portrayed by Ian Beattie.
HBO

Ser Meryn Trant was a knight of the Kingsguard under Robert Baratheon, Joffrey, and Tommen. He was always loyal to House Lannister (aka Joffrey and Cersei) and was known for physically and sexually abusing young girls in brothels.

Time of death: Season five, episode 10, "Mother's Mercy"

Cause of death: Arya gouged out his eyes and stabbed him repeatedly before slitting his throat, out of revenge for the season-one murder of her dancing instructor, Syrio Forel.

Sadness ranking: -4. Meryn Trant was a truly unpleasant man, but Arya's form of execution was a bit disturbing.

7/

112. Alliser Thorne

Alliser Thorne was played by Owen Teale.
HBO

Alliser Thorne was the master-at-arms at Castle Black. He lost the vote for Lord Commander to Jon Snow, whom he hated since Snow's arrival at Castle Black. He instigated Jon's murder at the end of season five.

Time of death: Season six, episode three, "Oathbreaker"

Cause of death: Jon Snow hangs him for treason.

Sadness ranking: -3. Thorne was a bully. He was such a pain ever since season one, so his death was a little more than slightly satisfying.

8/

111. Craster

Craster sacrificed his sons to the White Walkers.
HBO

Craster was a Wildling who begrudgingly took in the men of the Night's Watch while they were beyond the Wall. He took all his daughters as wives, and killed all male babies. Actually, he just left them in the woods for the White Walkers to take.

Time of death: Season three, episode four, "And Now His Watch Has Ended"

Cause of death: Stabbed by Karl Tanner, a member of the Night's Watch.

110. Kraznys mo Nakloz

Kraznys mo Nakloz sliced off one of his soldier's nipples, mercilessly, for no reason.
HBO

He was a slave trader in Astapor, on Slaver's Bay. He sold the Unsullied to Dany in exchange for Drogon, but that didn't work out so well for him.

Time of death: Season three, episode four, "And Now His Watch Has Ended"

Cause of death: Burned alive by Drogon's fire.

Sadness ranking: -1. He was a misogynist and a jerk, to say the least.

10/

109. Smalljon Umber

Smalljon Umber only appeared on two episodes.
HBO

Smalljon Umber was the Lord of Last Hearth. He betrayed his family's centuries-old loyalty to House Stark by giving Rickon Stark to Ramsay Bolton because he hated Wildlings. His father, Greatjon Umber, the guy who lost some fingers to Robb Stark's direwolf, would've been pissed if he lived to see this treachery.

Time of death: Season six, episode nine, "Battle of the Bastards"

Cause of death: Tormund ripped his throat out with his bare hands, then stabbed him in the head.

Sadness ranking: 0. He was a traitor to House Stark and didn't have any redeeming qualities.

11/

108. Myranda

Myranda was portrayed by Charlotte Hope.
HBO

Myranda was a servant of House Bolton, and (somehow) Ramsay Bolton's love interest. She was just as sadistic as Ramsay.

Time of death: Season five, episode 10, "Mother's Mercy"

Cause of death: Theon threw her off the ledge at Winterfell before he escaped with Sansa.

Sadness ranking: 0. She was loyal to Ramsay and did whatever she could to help him, including torturing Theon. She hunted people as a hobby.

12/

107. Janos Slynt

Janos Slynt hated Jon Snow for being the bastard son of a traitor, even though he was neither of those things.
HBO

Janos Slynt was the Commander of the City Watch who betrayed Ned Stark. When Tyrion Lannister was the Hand of the King, he sent Slynt to the Night's Watch as punishment for betraying his oath to protect the Hand of the King.

Time of death: Season five, episode three, "High Sparrow"

Cause of death: Beheaded by Lord Commander Jon Snow, for refusing his commands.

Sadness ranking: 0. He was the reason Ned Stark got locked up when the City Watch was sworn to protect the Hand of the King.

13/

106. The Waif

Faye Marsay as The Waif.
HBO

The Waif was a Faceless Man assassin serving in the House of Black and White in Braavos. She hated Arya, and that's pretty much all there was to her.

Time of death: Season six, episode eight, "No One"

Cause of death: Killed by Arya Stark offscreen, but presumably with her sword, Needle.

Sadness ranking: 0. Her hatred for Arya was excessive and annoying and her story line got old fast.

14/

105. Khal Moro

Joe Naufahu as Khal Moro.
HBO

Moro was the Khal who captured Daenerys and brought her to Vaes Dothrak, insulting her along the way.

Time of death: Season six, episode four, "Book of the Stranger"

Cause of death: Daenerys burned him alive along with the other khals.

Sadness ranking: 0. He and the other khals were pretty terrible people, who treated women and Daenerys like their property.

15/

104. Pyat Pree

Pyat Pree lured Dany into the House of the Undying, intending to trap her there forever.
HBO

Ew. The creepy Warlock of Qarth stole Dany's dragons, and could seriously use some concealer and/or a good night of sleep.

Time of death: Season two, episode 10, "Valar Morghulis"

Cause of death: Burned alive by Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.

Sadness ranking: 0. He was a creepy dragon thief with no redeeming qualities.

16/

103. Karl Tanner

Karl Tanner literally drank wine from the skull of his Lord Commander.
HBO

The crow-turned-traitor is responsible for the death of Lord Commander Mormont. After those events, he and the other men who betrayed the Night's Watch stayed at Craster's Keep. But not for long.

Time of death: Season four, episode five, "First of His Name"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the back of the head and through the mouth by Jon Snow during the Night's Watch raid on Craster's Keep.

Sadness ranking: 0. He killed Jeor Mormont, so his death was totally satisfying. Especially because Jon Snow, who was so fond of Mormont, got to do it himself.

17/

102. Razdal mo Eraz and Belicho Paenymion

Razdal mo Eraz was a Wise Master from Yunkai, and Belicho Paenymion was a prominent noble from Volantis, heavily involved in the slave trade. They tried to get Daenerys to leave Slaver's Bay, and secretly funded the Sons of the Harpy.

Time of death: Season six, episode nine, "Battle of the Bastards"

Cause of death: Grey worm slit their throats.

Sadness ranking: 0. They were bad guys who loved slavery and would do anything to keep it. At the Battle of Mereen, they offered their partner, Yezzan zo Qaggaz, to be killed because he's low-born.

18/

101. Euron Greyjoy

Euron nearly killed Jaime when he attacked him on the shore of King's Landing.
HBO

Euron Greyjoy was exiled from the Iron Islands after starting an unsuccessful revolution. He became a fearsome pirate while traveling the world, but returned home to murder his brother, King Balon, and take the crown for himself. Euron managed to gain a great deal of power by betraying his niece and nephew, Yara and Theon, and aligning himself with Queen Cersei.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: Stabbed through the stomach by Jaime Lannister.

Sadness ranking: 0.5. Euron was basically a knock-off Jack Sparrow without any of the charm or wit. He was irritating, his story line got old as soon as it began, and he basically had no redeeming qualities. But his death gets half a point because now we don't get to see Yara kill him.

19/

100. Viserys Targaryen

Viserys liked to call himself "the last dragon."
HBO

Viserys was annoying, rude, sexist, and selfish. He treated his sister like an object to win him the Iron Throne, instead of, you know, like a person. As the head of House Targaryen, he would have led his family name into disaster, and probably for dead.

Time of death: Season one, episode six, "A Golden Crown"

Cause of death: Khal Drogo poured molten gold on his head.

Sadness ranking: 0.5. By episode six, he had already overstayed his welcome. Dany was a little conflicted about her brother's death, and that's the only reason he gets half a point.

20/

99. Locke

Locke tricked Jon Snow into believing he was a loyal man of the Night's Watch.
HBO

Locke was the man-at-arms for House Bolton, who you might recognize as the guy who cut off Jaime Lannister's hand. Oh, and he also threw Brienne into that pit with a bear. Roose Bolton sent him on a mission to find the missing Stark boys, Bran and Rickon.

Time of death: Season four, episode five, "First of His Name"

Cause of death: Bran snapped his neck, while warging into Hodor.

Sadness ranking: 0.5. He was a jerk who didn't follow orders. Not sad. But he did bring Brienne and Jaime closer together, so he gets half a point for accidentally creating a beautiful friendship.

21/

98. The Night King

The Night King is a symbol of death and darkness.
HBO

The Night King was the creator and leader of the Army of the Dead. He himself was created thousands of years ago, when the Children of the Forest plunged a dragonglass dagger into the heart of one of the First Men. They intended to use his power to defend themselves against the First Men, but he turned on them instead. He wanted to destroy life in Westeros and wipe the continent of all living memory.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause of death: Arya Stark stabbed him with a Valyrian steel dagger.

Sadness ranking: 1. He was literally the physical embodiment of death and the ultimate villain of all time, so we're not really allowed to be sad about his destruction. But he does get one point because the show was teasing his takeover for eight whole seasons. The fact that he and his army were defeated in a single episode was a little anti-climactic.

22/

97. Polliver

"Fine little blade. Maybe I'll pick my teeth with it."
HBO

Polliver was a man-at-arms in service of House Lannister. He stole Needle from Arya in an attack on the Night's Watch recruits with Yoren, which earned him a spot on her kill list.

Time of death: Season four, episode one, "Two Swords"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the throat by Arya Stark, after she took Needle back from him.

Sadness ranking: 1. He was gross, but it was sort of sad to see Arya love killing him so much.

23/

96. Rast

Rast was portrayed by Luke Barnes.
HBO

Rast was a ranger of the Night's Watch, who betrayed his oath and participated in the Mutiny of Craster's Keep. He was sent to the Wall as punishment for rape.

Time of death: Season four, episode five, "First of His Name"

Cause of death: Ripped to shreds by Ghost, Jon Snow's direwolf, while trying to flee the battle.

Sadness ranking: 1. Rast was always a bully to Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly. His death was kind of poetic, because he had been haunted by Ghost throughout the show.

93. Obara Sand

Cause of death: In his attack on Yara's fleet, Euron Greyjoy stabbed Obara with her own spear, then hung her body in front of the ship.

Sadness ranking: 1. See the last slide.

27/

92. Qyburn

Anton Lesser as Qyburn.
HBO

Qyburn was a former maester who was expelled from the Citadel for conducting immoral experiments. He became Cersei's Hand of the Queen and, by the end of season eight, was her last remaining loyalist.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: While trying to help Cersei escape the Red Keep safely, Qyburn confronted the Mountain, who choked him and threw his head against a rock.

Sadness ranking: 1. He wasn't a terrible person by Westerosi standards, but he was super creepy — and anyone who was still so closely associated with Cersei needed to die. In fact, Qyburn's death was actually pretty satisfying. He tried to get in the way of Cleganebowl, and that's unforgivable.

28/

91. Xaro Xhoan Daxos

Xaro Xhoan Daxos seemed like a good guy. He wasn't.
HBO

Xaro Xhoan Daxos was the merchant in Qarth who let Dany and her crew into the city, then proposed marriage in exchange for a free trip to Westeros. Dany almost accepted the proposal, but Jorah convinced her not to.

Sadness ranking: 1. He seemed nice and hospitable until he stole Dany's dragons.

29/

90. Harry Strickland

Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland.
HBO

Harry Strickland was known as the formidable captain of the Golden Company, a group of mercenaries from Essos. He and his men were hired by Cersei to protect King's Landing and set sail for Westeros at the end of season seven.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: Skewered by Grey Worm during Daenerys' siege of King's Landing.

Sadness ranking: 1. He had potential to be an interesting character, but in reality, we hardly knew him and didn't care about him.

30/

89. Balon Greyjoy

Balon Greyjoy was played by Patrick Malahide.
HBO

Lord of the Iron Islands, the stubborn father of Theon and Yara, and a Stark-hater. He started and lost the Greyjoy Rebellion, a failed attempt shortly after Robert's Rebellion to make the Iron Islands an independent kingdom.

Time of death: Season six, episode two, "Home"

Cause of death: His brother, Euron Greyjoy, pushed him off a bridge in Pyke.

Sadness ranking: 1.5. He was stubborn and not a very clever or effective ruler. He also didn't care that his son Theon was getting tortured — not even after Ramsay Bolton mailed him his body parts. He was gone before we really got to know him well enough to care.

31/

88. Olly

Olly turned on Jon after he let Wildlings come south of the Wall.
HBO

Olly was a farm boy from a village just south of the Wall. His village was attacked by Wildlings, and the village sent him to Castle Black to warn of their attack. He killed Ygritte during the Battle of Castle Black, and stabbed Jon Snow.

Time of death: Season six, episode three, "Oathbreaker"

Cause of death: Jon Snow hanged him for treason.

Sadness ranking: 2. Even though Olly helped kill Jon, a kid dying is always sad, and Jon was clearly conflicted about it.

32/

87. Doreah

Doreah lost favor with fans when she turned against Dany for her own personal gain.
HBO

Doreah was another handmaiden to Dany. She taught Dany how to please Khal Drogo in the bedroom (aka, how to be sexy). In Qarth, she betrayed Dany and helped kidnap her dragons.

Sadness ranking: 2. We didn't even see her die. And even if we had, it probably wouldn't have been that sad.

33/

86. Mirri Maz Duur

Mirri Maz Duur was a witch who used blood magic.
HBO

Mirri Maz Duur was responsible for Drogo's death and the death of Dany's unborn child.

Time of death: Season one, episode 10, "Fire and Blood"

Cause of death: Dany burned her alive on Khal Drogo's funeral pyre.

Sadness ranking: 2. We're not condoning burning people, but in the "Game of Thrones" world, she was totally asking for it. But the Dothraki did rampage her village, take her people for slaves, and rape all the women, so she was trying to get some deserved revenge, which moves her up a couple sympathy points.

34/

85. Lancel Lannister

Lancel Lannister was played by Eugene Simon.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Lancel was Cersei's cousin (the son of Kevan Lannister, Tywin's brother) and also her former lover. He was the squire who gave King Robert wine while hunting, which ended in his demise. He later chopped his blonde Lannister locks off and joined the Faith Militant, and ousted Cersei for her crimes against the Faith of the Seven.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Stabbed by one of Qyburn's little birds, then blown up by the wildfire in the tunnels underneath the Sept of Baelor.

Sadness ranking: 2. Even when he had hair, he was always kind of annoying, down with incest and down with using violence to enforce religious beliefs. Not cool, dude.

35/

84. Grand Maester Pycelle

He pretended to be fragile and sickly, for some reason.
HBO

Pycelle served as the Grand Maester for many kings including the Mad King, and also had a seat on the king's council. He remained loyal to House Lannister throughout the series and served as a spy for Cersei while Tyrion was Hand of the King.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Stabbed by Qyburn's little birds right before the wildfire erupted at the Sept of Baelor.

Sadness ranking: 2. He was really gross, but he was way less creepy than Maester Qyburn.

36/

83. Shae

Shae turned against Tyrion after he ordered her to leave King's Landing.HBO

Shae was the prostitute that Tyrion Lannister fell in love with. In a huge betrayal, she testified against Tyrion at his trial.

Time of death: Season four, episode 10, "The Children"

Cause of death: Tyrion strangled her upon discovering that she was sleeping with his father, Tywin.

Sadness ranking: 2. She was annoying and she betrayed Tyrion when he thought she was the only person he could trust. Then she lunged at him with a knife, and we'd rather have Tyrion alive. But she gets two sadness points because it was hard to watch Tyrion kill the woman he loved.

37/

82. Roose Bolton

Roose Bolton was portrayed by Michael McElhatton.
HBO

Roose Bolton was the Lord of the Dreadfort and, up until the Red Wedding, loyal to House Stark. When the War of the Five Kings went unfavorably for the Starks, he betrayed them and took part in the Red Wedding — stabbing and killing Robb Stark himself — and he was appointed the new Warden of the North. He arranged Ramsay's marriage to Sansa Stark, in an attempt to secure their rule of Winterfell.

Time of death: Season six, episode two, "Home"

Cause of death: Ramsay Bolton stabbed him after Roose threatened to name his unborn son as his successor.

Sadness ranking: 2.5. He was the only person who could keep Ramsay in line and looked down on his sadistic ways — but he also did a lot of terrible things, like betraying the Starks and giving Ramsay any power.

38/

81. Lysa Arryn

Lysa Arryn's only son, Robin, is the Lord of the Eyrie.
HBO

Lady Arryn — Lady Regent of the Vale and sister of Catelyn Stark, wife of former Hand of the King Jon Arryn, and ever so briefly, the wife of Littlefinger — was actually responsible for killing her own husband, not the Lannisters. Jon Arryn's death pretty much spawned all of the events that made this entire series possible. Oh, and she also breastfed her grown son in front of everybody and it was really creepy.

Time of death: Season four, episode seven, "The Gift"

Cause of death: Littlefinger pushed her out of the Moon Door for threatening Sansa's life.

Sadness ranking: 2.5. It's sad to see anyone related to the Starks go — because boy, do they go quickly — especially when Arya was just about to reunite with Sansa in the Vale. But to be fair, Lysa was kind of the Joffrey of the family.

39/

80. Hoster Tully

Per Tully tradition, Hoster was laid to rest on a funeral boat, which was then set on fire.
HBO

Hoster Tully was Lord of Riverrun and Catelyn Stark's dad.

Time of death: Season three, episode three, "Walk of Punishment"

Cause of death: Illness.

Sadness ranking: 3. We didn't know the guy and he died offscreen, but it was sad to see Catelyn and Robb so sad. Plus, his funeral provided one of the only true comedic scenes the show has ever had.

40/

79. Rickard Karstark

Rickard Karstark's son was murdered by Jaime Lannister.
HBO

The Lord of Karhold and head of House Karstark was a close ally to the Stark family. In the third season — against Robb's orders — he murdered Kevan Lannister's sons, who were being held captive by the Stark army.

Time of death: Season three, episode five, "Kissed by Fire"

Cause of death: Beheaded for treason on a dramatic rainy day by Robb Stark.

Sadness ranking: 3. While he was a loyal ally to the Starks, he acted on impulse and murdered completely innocent children just because he hated the Lannisters. But Robb's decision to execute him possibly led to families in the North like the Boltons betraying him at the Red Wedding.

41/

78. The High Sparrow

The High Sparrow was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce.
HBO

The High Septon was just following the rules of his faith. Sure, the rules are questionable, but he did have more valid reasoning than, say, Ramsay Bolton. What's more unfortunate? The entire reason the Faith Militant gained power at all is because of Cersei.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Burned alive in Cersei's wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor.

Sadness ranking: 3. He had a tiresome storyline but wasn't a terrible guy compared to most of the bad guys in Westeros, so he gets a few points for that.

42/

77. Benjen Stark

Uncle Benjen was Jon Snow's personal hero and inspiration.
HBO

Benjen, Ned Stark's younger brother, was the First Ranger of the Night's Watch. He disappeared after a trip beyond the Wall on season one. He came back on season six, looking a bit like a wight but acting like a human, and saved Bran and Meera from some White Walkers. Then on season seven, he sacrificed himself for his beloved nephew, Jon Snow.

Time of death: Season seven, episode six, "Beyond the Wall"

Cause of death: Sacrificed himself to an army of wights so that Jon Snow could escape.

Sadness ranking: 3. We didn't get to know him very well. He was a Stark, but he was only seen briefly on a few episodes. His appearance on "Beyond the Wall" felt a little desperate and too much of a coincidence.

43/

76. Will

The punishment for abandoning the Night's Watch is death.
HBO

Will is actually the first character you ever see on "Game of Thrones," but you've probably forgotten about him already. He didn't last very long: He was the Night's Watch ranger who fled from a White Walker beyond the Wall.

Time of death: Season one, episode one, "Winter Is Coming"

Cause of death: Ned Stark beheaded him.

Sadness ranking: 3. We barely knew him and barely remember him, but he delivered an important message and didn't deserve to die for it.

44/

75. Beric Dondarrion (sort of)

Richard Dormer as Beric.
HBO

Beric Dondarrion was the leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners. He was always very enthusiastic about fighting the army of the dead.

Time of death: Season three, episode five, "Kissed by Fire"

Cause of death: The Hound defeated him in a trial by combat.

Sadness ranking: 3. He didn't really die, because Thoros of Myhr brought him back to life with his powers from the Lord of Light. But he loses a part of himself every time he comes back, so that's kind of sad.

45/

74. Trystane Martell

Trystane Martell was portrayed by Toby Sebastian.
HBO

Trystane Martell, the Prince of Dorne, was engaged to Myrcella Baratheon.

Time of death: Season six, episode one, "The Red Woman"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the head with a spear by Obara the Sand Snake.

Sadness ranking: 3. He was a good guy and didn't do anything to deserve it, but we didn't know him for very long and his personality seemed a little dull.

46/

73. Hizdahr zo Loraq

Dany agreed to marry Hizdahr zo Loraq for political reasons.
HBO

Hizdahr was the son of one of the Great Masters of Yunkai, whom Daenerys crucified. Daenerys, impressed with Hizdhar, sent him to Yunkai as an ambassador. When he returned, he encouraged her to reopen the fighting pits to get Yunkai to follow her orders.

Time of death: Season five, episode nine, "The Dance of Dragons"

Cause of death: Stabbed by the Sons of the Harpy.

Sadness ranking: 3. Although he always seemed suspicious, Hizdahr seemed genuinely invested in helping Dany transition more smoothly into her role as a leader — and into the abolishment of slavery in the cities of Slaver's Bay.

47/

72. Areo Hotah

Areo Hotah was portrayed by DeObia Oparei.
Macall B. Polay/HBO

Areo Hotah was the Captain of the Martell guard, and Doran Martell's personal bodyguard.

Time of death: Season six, episode one, "The Red Woman"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the back (literally and figuratively) by Tyene the Sand Snake.

Sadness ranking: 3. He was a badass warrior gone too soon. He plays a much more prominent role in the books, so it was sad to see him go without much of a story line.

48/

71. Three-Eyed Raven

The character is known as Bloodraven in the books.
Helen Sloan/HBO

The Three-Eyed Raven doesn't appear in person until the end of season four, but he guided Bran on his journey throughout the series. He taught Bran more about warging, and showed Bran visions that gave us some very, very important information about a very, very important baby.

Time of death: Season six, episode five, "The Door"

Cause of death: Killed by wights during the White Walkers' attack on the heart tree.

Sadness ranking: 3. For most of his time on the show, we knew him as a bird.

49/

70. Littlefinger

Littlefinger was the nickname given to Petyr Baelish.
HBO

Littlefinger, the former Master of Coin, was the creepiest creep Westeros had ever seen. He manipulated every person he possibly could and kept trying to make out with Sansa in her most vulnerable moments.

Time of death: Season seven, episode seven, "The Dragon and the Wolf"

Cause of death: Arya slit his throat with his own dagger.

Sadness ranking: 3. Littlefinger totally deserved to die at the hands of Arya and Sansa, since he's basically the entire reason half of the Stark family is dead. He knowingly set into motion the events that started the war, killed his own wife, and betrayed Ned, Catelyn, and Sansa. He was fun to watch, so he'll be missed — but only a little bit.

50/

69. Selyse Baratheon

Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse Baratheon.
HBO

Selyse was the wife of Stannis Baratheon and mother of Shireen. She was a loyal follower of the Lord of Light.

Time of death: Season five, episode 10, "Mother's Mercy"

Cause of death: Hanged herself after seeing her daughter sacrificed to the Lord of Light.

Sadness ranking: 3. She wasn't very nice to her daughter when she was alive.

51/

68. Mance Rayder

Mance Rayder has a very different and more complicated story line in the books.
HBO / Helen Sloan

Mance Rayder united the Wildlings and led their attack on Castle Black.

Time of death: Season five, episode one, "The Wars to Come"

Cause of death: Jon Snow mercy-killed him with an arrow before Mance could burn alive at the order of Stannis Baratheon.

Sadness ranking: 3. He was responsible for the attack on Castle Black, which killed a ton of Jon's Night's Watch brothers. What was more moving about his death was that Jon gave him a quick one, instead of allowing him to burn alive.

52/

67. Ellaria Sand

Ellaria tried to team up with Daenerys in order to get revenge on the Lannisters.
HBO

Ellaria Sand was the paramour of Oberyn Martell and basically the ruler of Dorne.

Time of death: Season seven, episode three, "The Queen's Justice"

Cause of death: Ellaria has to watch her daughter die and, in another twist, decompose slowly in a dungeon in the Red Keep.

Sadness ranking: 3. Ellaria wasn't the best character and was annoying at best. (Oberyn died in a trial by combat that he volunteered for! That's no reason to mutilate an innocent Lannister child!) But Cersei's sick torture here is incredibly disturbing.

53/

66. Dickon Tarly

Dickon was Sam's younger brother.
HBO

Dickon betrayed the Tyrells and helped Jaime take Highgarden for Cersei, even though he was the son of a lord of The Reach. Also, he had a funny name, according to Bronn.

Time of death: Season seven, episode five, "Eastwatch."

Cause of death: Daenerys has Drogon burn him alive because he wouldn't bend the knee.

Sadness ranking: 3.5. He was just trying to stay loyal to his father, but he should've made the easier choice to obey Daenerys.

54/

65. Melisandre

Melisandre made a lot of mistakes in her quest to serve the Lord of Light.
HBO

Melisandre, also known as the Red Woman, was a loyal follower of the Lord of Light. She served Stannis Baratheon for many years, believing him to be the "prince that was promised" to save Westeros from the Long Night. She later resurrected Jon Snow and tried to help Daenerys, all in the name of prophecy and visions in the fire. She used magic to make herself look young, but was actually hundreds of years old.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause ofdeath: After she helped bring about the destruction of the Night King, she took off her necklace — which was a tool to help preserve her youth — and faded into a corpse as she walked out into the snow.

Sadness ranking: 3.5. Melisandre sure seemed like a villain for most of her time on the show, but she proved her noble intentions in her final hour, which earned her some sympathy points here. She was instrumental in winning the Battle of Winterfell, so she'll likely be remembered fondly, against all odds. But she did say she had been ready to die for years, which lessens the tragedy of it all — and she literally told Davos that she would die by the end of the night, so we can't say we didn't see it coming. Plus, she still murdered Shireen.

55/

64. Doran Martell

Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell.
HBO

As the ruler of Dorne, Doran preferred to stay out of the War of the Five Kings. In general, he kept Dorne at a distance from the politics of Westeros because he wanted to keep peace. He was also sick with gout and confined to a wheelchair.

Time of death: Season six, episode one, "The Red Woman"

Cause of death: Stabbed by Ellaria Sand.

Sadness ranking: 4. He was a peaceful and reasonable man, but boring. The betrayal that led to his death is the only interesting thing to happen in Dorne on the show.

56/

63. Jon Arryn

Jon Arryn was like a father to Ned Stark.
HBO

Jon Arryn was King Robert Baratheon's original Hand of the King before he was poisoned by his own wife (on Littlefinger's orders). The whole series basically began because of his death, which inspired Robert to bring Ned Stark to King's Landing.

Time of death: Season one, episode one, "Winter Is Coming"

Cause of death: Poisoned by Lysa Arryn.

Sadness ranking: 4. We never saw him alive, but he seemed like a decent guy. He was also smart, having figured out Cersei and Jaime's little secret, and was trying to protect the realm from Joffrey.

57/

62. Qhorin Halfhand

Qhorin was known as an enemy of the Wildlings.
HBO

Qhorin, also known as Qhorin Halfhand, was a Ranger of the Night's Watch. He led the mission to search for Benjen Stark beyond the Wall, but soon joined Jon Snow in captivity of the Wildlings.

Time of death: Season two, episode six, "The Old Gods and the New"

Cause of death: Jon Snow killed Qhorin at his own request, in order to gain the trust of the Wildlings.

Sadness ranking: 4. He was fun, but his sacrificial death was more brave than sad.

58/

61. Irri

Irri was portrayed by Amrita Acharia.
HBO

Irri was the Dothraki handmaid who taught Dany their language and customs. After Drogo's death and upon seeing Dany's dragons, she swore fealty to her Khaleesi.

Time of death: Season two, episode six, "The Old Gods and the New"

Cause of death: Killed when Dany's dragons were stolen in Qarth.

Sadness ranking: 4. Irri's teachings of the Dothraki language and culture gave Dany the confidence she needed to become the Khaleesi that she is. So while her character is one of those you only remember when you're re-watching the first two seasons, her death hit Dany pretty hard.

59/

60. Stannis Baratheon

Stannis was the eldest Baratheon brother.
hbo.com

Stannis the Mannis was Lord of Dragonstone, and he intended to claim his rightful seat on the Iron Throne after Robert's death. He was really, really stubborn and fairly hard-hearted, which meant that many Westerosi didn't want him as their king.

Time of death: Season five, episode 10, "Mother's Mercy"

Cause of death: After his failed attack on Ramsay Bolton's army at Winterfell, Brienne of Tarth executed him for murdering his younger brother, Renly.

Sadness ranking: 4. He'd been on the show for a while and since he was such a masterful soldier, he was probably one of the only people who could take down the Lannisters. And boy, did he want to — but he heartlessly executed his only daughter and murdered his younger brother in order to get closer to the Iron Throne. His interesting character arc is missed, but fans grew less and less fond of him with every cruel mistake he made.

60/

59. Mycah

Mycah agreed to help Arya practice sword-fighting.
HBO

Mycah became Arya's friend on the Kingsroad back on season one. Joffrey started a stupid fight over Arya having fun with a poor person, and Arya fought back.

Time of death: Season one, episode two, "The Kingsroad"

Cause of death: Killed by the Hound, on Joffrey's orders.

Sadness ranking: 4. He was only around for one episode, but his unwarranted murder was our first glimpse at how much of a monster Joffrey would become. He also helped inspire Arya's iconic kill list.

61/

58. Leaf

Leaf got an aesthetic upgrade for the sixth season.
HBO

Leaf was of the ancient race known as the Children of the Forest, and was responsible for creating the White Walkers.

Time of death: Season six, episode five, "The Door"

Cause of death: Killed by wights while protecting Bran, Meera, and Hodor from attack.

Sadness ranking: 4. We didn't know her very well, but she made a big sacrifice for Bran's survival.

62/

57. Matthos Seawoth

Matthos was a devoted follower of the Lord of Light.
HBO

Matthos was the only son of Davos Seaworth, Stannis Baratheon's right-hand man.

Time of death: Season two, episode nine, "Blackwater"

Cause of death: Burned alive by wildfire during the Battle of Blackwater.

Sadness ranking: 4. The viewers didn't know Matthos very well — but he gets some sadness points thanks to his father, one of the show's most beloved characters, who did everything for his son.

63/

56. Kevan Lannister

Kevan's younger children were taken captive and killed by Robb Stark's army.
HBO

Kevan, Tywin's brother and Lancel's father, became Tommen's Hand of the King after Tywin's death. Throughout season six, Kevan was trying to get Cersei out of the King's Council.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Burned alive in Cersei's wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor.

Sadness ranking: 4. Kevan was a Lannister, but like Tyrion and Jaime, he was one of the ones to root for. He was trying to restore peace to the kingdom and keep Cersei as far away from the Iron Throne as possible.

54. Osha

Osha was portrayed by Natalia Tena, who also famously appears in the "Harry Potter" series.
HBO

Osha, a Wildling with an attitude, became loyal to the Starks after Robb captured her and spared her life. She helped Bran and Rickon escape Winterfell, and took Rickon with her when Bran went beyond the Wall.

Time of death: Season six, episode four, "Book of the Stranger"

Cause of death: Ramsay Bolton stabbed her in the neck.

Sadness ranking: 4. She was the kind and loyal protector that Bran and Rickon needed, and fans will always appreciate that. But she pretty much only showed up again to die. We hadn't seen her in a while, so the death wasn't as impactful as it would have been a few seasons before.

66/

53. Viserion

Dany named Viserion for her late brother, Viserys.
HBO

Viserion, the yellow-ish one, is arguably Dany's most forgotten dragon.

Time of death: Season seven, episode six, "Beyond the Wall"

Cause of death: The Night King killed him with a massive ice spear. By the end of the episode, he was reincarnated as some kind of zombie ice dragon. Yikes.

Sadness ranking: 4. We only saw Viserion a few times before this moment, since Dany kept him locked up most of his life. It was sad that Dany had to see her "child" die, but it was more terrifying than sad once we saw the Night King bring him back to life.

67/

52. Tyene Sand

Tyene was portrayed by Rosabell Laurenti Sellers.
HBO

Tyene was one of the Sand Snakes, daughter of Oberyn Martell and Ellaria Sand.

Time of death: Season seven, episode three, "The Queen's Justice"

Cause of death: Cersei locked up Ellaria in a dungeon with her daughter, Tyene, who she poisoned the same way Ellaria poisoned Myrcella: With a kiss and a poison called "The Long Farewell."

Sadness ranking: 4.5. Her death was deeply disturbing, even though we didn't love this character.

68/

51. Myrcella Baratheon

Nell Tiger Free briefly took over the role of Myrcella for the fifth season.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Myrcella was the only daughter of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, sister to Joffrey and Tommen. Back on season two, when Tyrion was Hand of the King, he sent her to Dorne to marry Prince Trystane when she became of age.

Time of death: Season five, episode 10, "Mother's Mercy"

Cause of death: Ellaria Sand kissed her while wearing poisoned lipstick, just before she left for King's Landing with Jaime.

Sadness ranking: 4.5. It was sad to see Jaime's good, innocent daughter die in his arms, especially since it was right after they shared a sweet bonding moment — but we didn't know her very well and her death was predictable.

69/

50. Septa Mordane

Septa Mordane was played by Susan Elizabeth Brown.
HBO

Mordane was Sansa and Arya's no-nonsense tutor and septa at Winterfell. She went to King's Landing with the Starks to continue Sansa and Arya's studies. She was more fond of Sansa than Arya, who she viewed as an unladylike troublemaker — but she would have died to protect either one.

Time of death: Season one, episode 10, "Fire and Blood"

Cause of death: Beheaded on King Joffrey's orders.

Sadness ranking: 4.5. Although she wasn't a character that anyone was particularly attached to, she was a good woman and it was completely unnecessary for Joffrey to kill her. He only did it to torture Sansa even more, just after beheading her father right in front of her — and it was heartbreaking to see Sansa forced to stare at their heads on spikes.

70/

49. Beric Dondarrion (again)

Beric Dondarrion died six times before his final death.
HBO

Beric Dondarrion was the leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners. He was always very enthusiastic about fighting the army of the dead.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause of death: Stabbed to death by a horde of wights after sacrificing himself to save Arya Stark. He couldn't be resurrected this time because his Red Priest had already died.

Sadness ranking: 4.5. Nobody was particularly attached to Beric, but it was extremely heartwarming that he would take the time to encourage the Hound to save Arya — and then sacrifice himself to save Arya instead. Plus, in doing so, he essentially secured the survival of everyone else. He heroically fulfilled his purpose, so we can't be overly sad about this one.

71/

48. Lady Crane

Lady Crane's death was requested by the Many-Faced God.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Lady Crane was a talented actress portraying Cersei Lannister in a play in Braavos. Arya was assigned to assassinate her, but she didn't.

Time of death: Season six, episode eight, "No One"

Cause of death: The Waif slit her throat.

Sadness ranking: 5. She was kind to Arya and was a decent person. People in Braavos are really cool and really chill! Everyone should leave Westeros and go there.

72/

47. Jory Cassel

Jory Cassel was an honorable and loyal man.
HBO

Jory was basically Ned Stark's right-hand man. He was the captain to the House Stark guards and traveled with Ned from Winterfell to King's Landing.

Time of death: Season one, episode five, "The Wolf and the Lion"

Cause of death: Jaime Lannister stabbed him in the eye.

Sadness ranking: 5. He would have done anything for the Starks, including getting killed, which he did. This death was a little sadder to see for readers, since you spend more time with him in the books.

73/

46. Cersei Lannister

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Cersei Lannister was introduced as the poised but powerless Queen of Westeros, wife of King Robert Baratheon. But after her husband and all three children died — largely thanks to her own scheming — she took the Iron Throne.

Cersei was the show's most devious, loathed villain throughout all eight seasons: She orchestrated the death of her own husband, ignored his dying wish and took the throne for her bastard son, murdered her own family and wiped out House Tyrell by blowing up the Sept of Baelor, and manipulated everyone around her.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: Crushed as the ceiling collapsed in the tunnels beneath King's Landing.

Sadness ranking: 5. Cersei was horrible and hateful and she deserved to die. So her death didn't make us sad, exactly — but it was sort of a bummer that her final scene had her crying and crushed by some rocks. Fans expected her to go down swinging, defiant and smirking, so her actual death scene wasn't as powerful as it could've been. It was neither satisfying nor tragic.

Plus, without Cersei, the show wouldn't have become the cultural phenomenon it is today. We had to award her extra points for being one of the best fictional villains in history. Even one episode without her feels off.

74/

45. Grenn

Grenn fought bravely in the Battle of Castle Black.
HBO

Grenn joined the Night's Watch at the same time as Jon Snow. Jon taught him swordsmanship along with Pyp. He, along with Sam and Edd, survived the White Walkers' attack at the Fist of the First Men.

Time of death: Season four, episode nine, "The Watchers on the Wall"

Cause of death: Killed while fighting the giant Mag the Mighty in the Battle of Castle Black, and trying to hold the gate closed so the Wildlings couldn't get in.

Sadness ranking: 5. He was a very minor character, but a sweet and loyal friend to Jon and Sam.

75/

44. Pyp

Pyp was punished, forced to join the Night's Watch, for no good reason.
HBO

Pyp joined the Night's Watch at the same time as Jon Snow. Jon taught him swordsmanship along with Grenn. While he initially said he was caught stealing, it was later revealed that Pyp was sent to the Wall after rejecting a lord's sexual advances.

Time of death: Season four, episode nine, "The Watchers on the Wall"

Cause of death: Killed by Ygritte during the Battle of Castle Black.

Sadness ranking: 5. He was also quite minor, but again, he was a loyal friend to Jon and Sam. His death was particularly gutting because he was killed in a moment of joy and bled out in Sam's arms.

43. Brother Ray

Brother Ray, the Faith of the Seven Septon, had a brief but memorable appearance on the show. He's the reason the Hound is still alive.

Time of death: Season six, episode seven, "The Broken Man"

Cause of death: Rogue members of the Brotherhood Without Banners hanged him after killing his entire community.

Sadness ranking: 5. This death hit the Hound pretty hard emotionally, and it was nice to see him feel some feelings for once. Ideally, Ian McShane would be on this show forever, but we can't have everything.

77/

42. Rhaegal

Jon Snow had developed a connection with Rhaegal.
HBO

Rhaegal was one of Daenerys Targaryen's three dragons, named for her eldest brother (and Jon Snow's real father), Rhaegar.

Time of death: Season eight, episode four, "The Last of the Starks"

Cause of death: Impaled by Euron Greyjoy with long-range artillery weapons called Scorpions, designed by Qyburn, Cersei's Hand of the Queen.

Sadness ranking: 5. Rhaegal's murder was more of a shock than a tragedy, but it had super tragic implications for Daenerys and her allies.

78/

41. Edd

Eddison Tollett was a ranger of the Night's Watch.
HBO

Edd was a sworn brother of the Night's Watch and came to be fiercely loyal to Jon Snow. He was even ready to defend Jon's honor and memory after he was killed by other brothers of the Watch. Edd became Lord Commander after Jon abandoned his post and fought to defend Winterfell against the Army of the Dead.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the eye by a wight after saving Sam Tarly.

Sadness ranking: 5. Edd was a rather minor character, but he deserves extra points for surviving so long, and then for pledging himself unquestioningly to a seemingly lost cause. He was a good person, a loyal friend, and it hurt to watch Sam watch another brother die in front of him.

79/

40. Jon Snow (sort of)

Jon Snow's death was the ultimate cliffhanger on the season five finale.
HBO

We know him, we love him: Jon Snow, former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and previously thought to be Ned Stark's bastard son. He was chosen as King of the North but renounced his title to support Daenerys Targaryen.

After he sacrificed his life and reputation to kill Dany, preventing her from slaughtering any more innocent people, Jon was exiled and sent back to the Night's Watch. He's the last living Targaryen.

Time of death: Season five, episode 10, "Mother's Mercy"

Cause of death: Stabbed by Alliser Thorne, Olly, and other members of the Night's Watch who hate Wildlings.

Sadness ranking: 5. He's back, and in our hearts, we always knew he would be.

80/

39. Thoros of Myr

Thoros of Myr was portrayed by Paul Kaye.
HBO

Thoros was a red priest of the Lord of Light, noted warrior, leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Beric Dondarrion's BFF/six-time life saver.

Time of death: Season seven, episode six, "Beyond the Wall"

Cause of death: After surviving a zombie bear attack, he froze to death during the stand-off against the White Walkers and the wights. His body was burned.

Sadness ranking: 5.5. He was a minor character, but his death hit harder than expected, despite the fact that it was a little predictable.

81/

38. Talisa Stark

Talisa Stark was played by Oona Chaplin.
HBO

Talisa, a high-born woman from Volantis, met Robb Stark while she was treating wounded soldiers. They quickly fell in love and had some really sweet scenes together, but their marriage violated Robb's deal with the Freys.

Time of death: Season three, episode nine, "The Rains of Castamere"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the stomach by Lothar Frey at the Red Wedding.

Sadness ranking: 5.5. She wasn't the most interesting character, and compared to the other deaths at the Red Wedding, hers didn't hit as hard. But it was horrible watching her unborn child get stabbed inside of her — and seeing Robb's face as his wife was murdered in front of him.

82/

37. Khal Drogo

Jason Mamoa went on to land the role of Aquaman in 2017's "Justice League."
HBO

At first, the Dothraki warrior was menacing and somewhat cruel. But over the course of the first season, as he began to bond and build a real love with Dany, he became much more likable.

Time of death: Season one, episode 10, "Fire and Blood"

Cause of death: After blood magic left him in a catatonic state, Dany suffocated him out of mercy.

Sadness ranking: 5.5. Drogo may have been introduced as a murderous rapist, but at this point, we were pretty invested in the man who Dany saw as her "sun and stars." The saddest part about his death was saying goodbye to Jason Mamoa, whose stunning performance made him famous. The best part was that his death put Dany on her path to empowerment and led to the birth of her dragons.

83/

36. Tywin Lannister

Tywin Lannister was played by Charles Dance.
HBO

Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, and Head of House Lannister. He was also Hand of the King for three different kings, including the Mad King. His army saved King's Landing from Stannis in the Battle of Blackwater, and he was the mastermind behind the Red Wedding.

Time of death: Season 4, episode 10, "The Children"

Cause of death: His son, Tyrion, shot him with a crossbow while he was using the bathroom.

Sadness ranking: 5.5. Although he was one of the show's primary villains, it was sad to see him go because he was such a good character. The show truly isn't the same without him.

84/

35. Renly Baratheon

Renly was one of the few gay characters on the show.
HBO

Renly was the youngest brother of King Robert and "King" Stannis Baratheon. He was one of the only characters Ned Stark trusted, but he fled King's Landing right when Ned needed him most because he believed in his own bogus claim to the Iron Throne.

Time of death: Season two, episode five, "The Ghost of Harrenhal"

Cause of death: Killed by the ghost-baby of Stannis and Melisandre.

Sadness ranking: 6. Renly was lovable and sweet — and, ironically, he probably would've been a great king. But he could've avoided being murdered if he hadn't been so stubborn. He also ditched Ned Stark in King's Landing right before things got bad, which was lame.

85/

34. Yoren

Yoren made sure Arya couldn't see her father's beheading.
HBO

Remember Yoren? He was a Night's Watch recruiter who came to King's Landing to bring back some recruits. While he was down there, Ned Stark was beheaded, and he's the one who saved Arya by chopping her hair off and disguising her as a boy. He did everything he could to help her, and his story was the inspiration for Arya's prayer.

Time of death: Season two, episode three, "What Is Dead May Never Die"

Cause of death: Killed by Ser Amory Lorch, a House Lannister loyalist, when Lannister men came looking for Robert Baratheon's bastard son.

Sadness ranking: 6. On his last few episodes, he bonded with Arya. He was one of those clever but rare Westeros citizens who doesn't care about politics. He was also a great and brave warrior.

86/

33. Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen.
HBO

Daenerys was smuggled out of Westeros as a baby. She was raised in Essos, where a web of co-conspirators protected her from King Robert, who saw any living Targaryen as a threat to his reign. She was also abused by her brother, who eventually sold her to the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo.

After the untimely death of her husband, Dany hatched three baby dragons and began to gain immense power — known as the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, and the Breaker of Chains. She also became increasingly obsessed with her "destiny" to sit on the Iron Throne.

Time of death: Season eight, episode six, "The Iron Throne"

Cause of death: Stabbed in the stomach by her lover, Jon Snow, who was encouraged by Tyrion Lannister to end her tyrannical reign.

32. Loras Tyrell

Finn Jones portrayed Loras Tyrell.
HBO

Loras was the only remaining heir to Highgarden. He was a popular tourney knight in Westeros, and one of the most skilled in the kingdom. He was imprisoned by the Faith of the Seven for his homosexuality and humiliated in a public trial.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Burned alive in Cersei's wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor.

Sadness ranking: 6. He wasn't as major a character as Margery, but he was sympathetic, especially throughout his imprisonment. He was always kind, especially to Sansa, and certainly didn't deserve to be tortured and stripped of his dignity. His violent death, like everyone else's in the wildfire explosion, was as unexpected as it was upsetting — and made worse by the tragedy of his final moments, which made it clear that his imprisonment completely broke him.

88/

31. Jojen Reed

Jojen was a powerful greenseer, but his visions took their toll.
HBO

Jojen was the only son of Howland Reed, the Lord of Greywater Watch. Accompanied by his older sister Meera, he sought out Bran Stark to fulfill his destiny of helping Bran find the Three-Eyed Raven.

Time of death: Season four, episode 10, "The Children"

Cause of death: Meera mercy-killed him after he suffered multiple stab wounds from a wight outside the heart tree.

Sadness ranking: 6. Jojen's time on the show was short, but he was an important and interesting character. His death was untimely and rather unexpected, especially since he survives the wight attack outside the heart tree in the books. And Bran's indifference towards Meera, after she saw her brother get viciously attacked while trying to save Bran, only made Jojen's death more disturbing.

89/

30. Theon Greyjoy

Theon's desire for acceptance and belonging led him down a dangerous path.
HBO

Theon was the last living son of Balon Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands. After his father rebelled against the crown and lost, Theon was taken as a hostage by House Stark — but came to be treated like an adopted son and brother. He later betrayed the Starks in an attempt to please his birth father, but failed and was captured by Ramsay Bolton, who tortured him mercilessly. Theon eventually managed to escape with Sansa, realign himself with House Stark, and patch things up with his sister, Yara Greyjoy, serving her loyally and honorably.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause of death: Skewered by the Night King after sacrificing himself to protect Bran Stark.

Sadness ranking: 6.5. Theon's dramatic redemption arc was all but complete, so his death wasn't entirely unexpected. Although he had managed to work his way into fans' hearts, overcoming his trauma in a surprisingly heroic way, his death was more fulfilling than tragic. Dying to protect Bran Stark, whom he had once pledged to murder, was the only proper way for Theon to die — and his days were numbered from the minute he volunteered to put himself in the direct path of the Night King.

90/

29. Rodrik Cassel

Rodrik was introduced on the very first episode of season one.
HBO

Ser Rodrik Cassel was the master-at-arms at Winterfell, and a loyal servant to House Stark. He trained many soldiers, including Robb Stark, Jon Snow, and the man who killed him, Theon Greyjoy. On season one, Rodrik escorted Catelyn to King's Landing and the Vale.

Time of death: Season two, episode six, "The Old Gods and the New"

Cause of death: Tragically and messily beheaded by Theon Greyjoy during the Fall of Winterfell.

Sadness ranking: 6.5. Rodrik was loyal to the Starks through and through. His death was especially sad because it was gruesome — and because Theon, panicked and power-hungry, performed the execution on a whim in front of Bran and Rickon, who were close to Rodrik.

91/

28. Ros

Ros had become an interesting and beloved character for many fans.
HBO

Ros was a prostitute from a town near Winterfell, who went down to King's Landing to work at Littlefinger's brothel. While working for Littlefinger, she worked her way up the ranks by spying for Varys, and proved she truly belonged in the capitol.

Time of death: Season three, episode six, "The Climb"

Cause of death: Joffrey brutally shot her with his crossbow.

Sadness ranking: 6.5. Her death was brutal and difficult to watch. Although she was an outsider, Ros learned how to survive in King's Landing pretty quickly. She tried to help Sansa and even protected Tyrion while being tortured by Cersei. But when Littlefinger found out she'd been spying on him for Varys, he gave her to Joffrey — knowing full well he would play a sadistic game with her.

92/

27. Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun

He was one of the last remaining giants.
Courtesy of HBO

Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun was a giant Wildling, loyal to Jon Snow, who was integral to the Starks' recapture of Winterfell at the Battle of the Bastards.

Time of death: Season six, episode nine, "Battle of the Bastards"

Cause of death: Shot in the eye by Ramsay Bolton after taking a lot of arrows. Like, a lot.

Sadness ranking: 6.5. We didn't know him very well, but his heroic fight at the Battle of the Bastards made us sad enough to shed a tear or two.

93/

26. Walda Bolton and her newborn child

Elizabeth Webster as Walda Bolton.
HBO

Walda was given to Roose Bolton by her grandfather, Walder Frey. After their marriage, Walda and Roose welcomed a son.

Time of death: Season six, episode two, "Home"

Cause of death: Ramsay left them to be eaten by his hounds.

Sadness ranking: 6.5. We didn't know Walda very well, but she seemed very sweet, and Ramsay killed an innocent woman and an innocent baby in a gruesome way for his own gain. Very in line with his character, but still super uncool.

94/

25. Brynden Tully (The Blackfish)

Brynden was the uncle of Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure Tully.
HBO

Brynden Tully was a knight and the brother of Hoster Tully, who was the Lord of Riverrun. On season six, he easily took Riverrun from the Freys, but the Lannisters took it back. Before he was allegedly killed, he helped Brienne and Podrick escape the castle.

Time of death: Season six, episode eight, "No One"

Cause of death: We didn't actually see him killed, but he's assumed to be dead. The Lannisters took Riverrun after he refused to surrender.

Sadness ranking: 6.5. The Blackfish was highly respected and quickly became a beloved character, though we didn't actually see him die. He escaped the Red Wedding unscathed and was a fierce warrior, so there's a chance that he's still around.

95/

24. Robert Baratheon

Robert's Rebellion destroyed the Targaryen dynasty and launched the reign of the House Baratheon.
HBO

King Robert was quite a delight. Sure, he was a drunk, a terrible king, an unkind husband, and a bad father who kind of just yelled at everybody — but he was a lovable character with an interesting backstory, gone way too soon. He also provided some of the only comedic relief this show has ever had.

Time of death: Season one, episode seven, "A Man Without Honor"

Cause of death: Wounded by a wild boar on a hunting trip after drinking wine given to him by his squire, Lancel Lannister, on orders from Cersei Lannister.

Sadness ranking: 7. He was a major character and a powerful warrior, but just wasn't fit to be a king, especially of a place like Westeros. He was too lazy for the gig and it ended up being his downfall.

96/

23. Maester Aemon

Aemon was the great-uncle of Daenerys Targaryen and (unbeknownst to him) the great-great uncle of Jon Snow.
HBO/Game of Thrones

Aemon, the Grand Maester at Castle Black, was the brother of Aegon Targaryen, making him the Mad King's uncle. He joined the Night's Watch to get away from the politics of Westeros. Maester Aemon was one of Lord Commander Mormont's closest advisers. He was always kind and loyal to Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly.

Time of death: Season five, episode seven, "Kill the Boy"

Cause of death: Old age.

Sadness ranking: 7. The last known Targaryen in Westeros became a treasured figure, both for the viewers and for the men of the Night's Watch. He'd been with us since the beginning of the show, and he was instrumental in Sam's character development. But his death was somewhat expected, since he was so old.

97/

22. Karsi

We thought we might have seen Karsi again, as a member of the Night King's army.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Karsi was a Wildling leader who retreated to Hardhome after the Battle of Castle Black. After killing a Then, she accepted Jon Snow's offer to become allies against the White Walkers, largely for the sake of her children.

Time of death: Season five, episode eight, "Hardhome"

Cause of death: Killed by wights, then became one.

Sadness ranking: 7. Seeing her icy blue eyes as she rose from the dead, just after treating Jon with respect and fighting to save her children, was truly gut-wrenching. Huge credit to the writers for creating such a strong character that we all became attached to, just in one episode.

98/

21. Syrio Forel

Ned Stark trusted Syrio Forel to train his daughter in combat.
HBO

The Braavosi dancing instructor made quite an impression on Arya and on audiences. Although it's very likely that he's dead, there's still some hopefuls out there who believe there's no way a knight like Meryn Trant could've killed the skilled fighter, even if his only weapon was a broken wooden sword.

Time of death: Season one, episode eight, "The Prince of Winterfell"

Cause of death: Probably killed by Meryn Trant and his men in King's Landing, on the orders of Cersei and Joffrey.

Sadness ranking: 7. He was a charming, chill guy who helped Arya become the person she is now. He also saved her from being captured by the Lannisters. His death made us sad, but the devastating impact it had on Arya made us even sadder.

99/

20. Lord Varys

Conleth Hill as Lord Varys.
HBO

Varys, also known as the Spider, served many kings and queens as the Master of Whisperers — but ultimately, as he often said, his true purpose was to serve the realm. Varys was sold and mutilated as a child, which motivated him to protect innocent people. His goal was to install the best possible ruler on the Iron Throne.

Over the course of season eight, Varys became convinced that Daenerys could no longer be trusted and tried to convince Jon Snow to take her place, as the rightful King of Westeros.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: Daenerys sentenced him to death for betrayal and had Drogon burn him alive.

Sadness ranking: 7.5. Despite being a sneaky spymaster, Varys was beloved by audiences and trusted by good judges of character on the show, like Tyrion. He was one of the few characters who appeared to have genuinely good intentions and stayed true to his word throughout every season. But because of this, we knew his days were numbered as soon as he began to distrust Daenerys. Varys would do anything to undermine an unfit ruler, and Daenerys had promised to burn him alive if he did. His death wasn't surprising, but we were sad to see such an esteemed character meet such a tragic end. Plus, you know, it turns out that he was right all along.

100/

19. Jorah Mormont

Iain Glen portrayed Jorah Mormont.
HBO

Jorah Mormont was a lord of Bear Island before he was exiled by Ned Stark for selling men into slavery. Jorah acted as a spy for King Robert in order to earn a royal pardon for his crimes, but upon receiving said pardon, he declined to return to Westeros. Instead, he continued to serve Daenerys Targaryen and stood by her on her quest to retake the Iron Throne. Despite betraying Daenerys, Jorah remained one of her most trusted advisers.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause of death: Killed by a horde of wights while protecting Daenerys Targaryen.

Sadness ranking: 7.5. There wasn't much else the show could've done with Jorah's arc, so his death was fairly predictable. It gave him the only satisfactory death he possibly could have had: Jorah was as loyal to Daenerys as a person can be to anything or anyone. But watching her sob while holding his corpse was quite painful, especially since we rarely saw Daenerys so teary.

101/

18. Olenna Tyrell

Olenna Tyrell was portrayed by Dame Diana Rigg.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Olenna Tyrell was the widely respected matriarch of House Tyrell, nicknamed the Queen of Thorns by the people of Highgarden. She was widely loved by viewers for her influence, intelligence, and biting sarcasm. Over the course of her long life, she subtly became one of the most powerful players in the game of thrones.

Time of death: Season seven, episode three, "The Queen's Justice"

Cause of death: Cersei wanted to give Olenna a cruel death after taking Highgarden, but Jaime convinced her otherwise and gave Olenna poison instead.

Sadness ranking: 7.5. Olenna went down memorably. Right after she drank the poison, she confessed to Jaime that she was the one who poisoned Joffrey, and she wanted Cersei to know it. She made death look so cool, but it was such a bummer to lose such an awesome character. Her lack of screen time was criminal.

102/

17. Ser Barristan Selmy

Barristan Selmy was played by Ian McElhinney.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Barristan Selmy was a former member of the Kingsguard. In the words of Ned Stark, nobody could question his honor. But Joffrey forced him to leave his position on season one, and he made his return on season three to offer his services to Daenerys, becoming one of her most trusted advisers.

Time of death: Season five, episode four, "Sons of the Harpy"

Cause of death: Killed while fighting the Sons of the Harpy during an attack in Mereen.

16. Jeor Mormont

Jeor Mormont was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch when the series began.
HBO

Jeor Mormont was a highly respected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He took a liking to Jon Snow and became like a father figure to him. He even gave Jon his Valyrian steel sword, Longclaw, which has saved Jon and a bunch of other people from White Walkers — and might just save everyone in Westeros on the final season.

Time of death: Season three, episode four, "And Now His Watch Has Ended"

Cause of death: Stabbed to death by a traitor to the Night's Watch at Craster's Keep.

Sadness ranking: 7.5. Lord Commander Mormont was one of the few people in Westeros who was a genuinely good person and who always fought for what was right. It was even more heartbreaking when his son, Jorah, found out about his death through Tyrion Lannister two seasons later.

104/

15. Jaime Lannister

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister on season eight.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Jaime Lannister was introduced on the series premiere as a cruel, vainglorious warrior. He had an incestuous relationship with his twin sister and tried to kill 10-year-old Bran Stark when the boy found out.

But after Jaime was captured by Robb Stark's army and lost his right hand, we saw a dramatic shift in his character. We discovered that he earned his reputation as a "king slayer" because he refused to let the Mad King burn King's Landing to the ground. Later, he swore to fight the Army of the Dead alongside the Starks and Brienne of Tarth.

While Jaime did decide to return to Cersei in the eleventh hour, he remained a fan-favorite character, and many hoped for his redemption until the very end.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: Crushed as the ceiling collapsed in the tunnels beneath King's Landing.

Sadness ranking: 8. It sucks that Jaime ultimately saw himself as a "hateful" person, just like his twin sister. But what sucks more is that, even as he died in the arms of a murderous tyrant, he still had pieces of that just, gentle person we had come to know and love. Jaime's character arc was an exploration of redemption, as well as its limitations. He was neither good nor bad, and his death was ultimately caused by a lifelong, destructive addiction. It's a tragedy that we'll never get to see him grapple with those consequences.

105/

14. Tommen Baratheon

Dean-Charles Chapman as Tommen Baratheon.
HBO

Tommen was Cersei's youngest child, who became king as a young teen after Joffrey's unexpected death. In Margery's words, poor Tommen was "the sweetest king who ever lived." And just when the young ruler was starting to stand up to his mother and make decisions for himself, she took everything he loved away from him by blowing up the Sept of Baelor with wildfire.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Committed suicide by jumping from a window in the Red Keep.

Sadness ranking: 8. Tommen was one of the good ones and he was too young to die, especially in such a tragic manner. Watching him step out that window was shocking and spine-chilling, especially considering how pure he was — and how much potential he had to inspire peace in the realm. With Margery's help, he could have ushered in an era of prosperity and reigned with kindness towards his people. The gruesome circumstances surrounding his death, including the murder of his wife, made it even more difficult to absorb.

106/

13. Lyanna Mormont

Lyanna Mormont pledged to train every man, woman, boy, and girl on Bear Island to prepare for the Great War.
Helen Sloan/HBO

Lyanna Mormont was the young and ferocious head of House Mormont. Her family ruled Bear Island in the North and swore fealty to House Stark. Lyanna insisted they wouldn't break faith, despite the Starks' near-extinction, and was one of few heads of a Northern house to fight alongside Jon Snow at the Battle of the Bastards. She also insisted that she would fight to defend her people against the army of the dead, refusing to be excluded based on her age or gender.

Time of death: Season eight, episode three, "The Long Night"

Cause of death: Crushed by a wight giant — but not before stabbing him in the eye with dragonglass.

Sadness ranking: 8. Lyanna was beloved by Northerners and fans alike, and for good reason. She fought until the end and died a hero, screaming and charging a wight giant who was mowing down her soldiers in the Winterfell courtyard — despite probably knowing that it meant certain death. Knowing she died heroically made it slightly easier to swallow, but watching her come back as a wight was truly painful.

107/

12. Sandor Clegane, aka the Hound

Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane, aka the Hound.
HBO

Sandor was introduced as a member of Joffrey's Kingsguard, but he didn't care for the murderous king and eventually deserted his post. He was captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners and then traveled as a fugitive, later returning to the Brotherhood after nearly getting killed by Brienne of Tarth while trying to protect Arya Stark.

The Hound became somewhat loyal to House Stark — more specifically, to Arya — but his one true motivating force in life was to get revenge on his older brother.

Time of death: Season eight, episode five, "The Bells"

Cause of death: Sacrificed himself to destroy his undead brother.

Sadness ranking: 8. There isn't a "Game of Thrones" fan alive who wasn't rooting for the Hound. He had become one of the show's most beloved, sympathetic, and oddly charming characters. At least he went out swinging, having achieved his life's ambition.

108/

11. Margaery Tyrell

Margaery was introduced as Renly Baratheon's wife on season two.
HBO

Margaery schemed to marry two different Lannisters (first Joffrey, then Tommen) to gain power for House Tyrell in the capitol. She came across as self-interested, but we saw her extend kindness toward Sansa Stark and care for the poorest people in King's Landing — proving that, while she was a master manipulator on the same level as Cersei, she had a good heart and good intentions.

Time of death: Season six, episode 10, "The Winds of Winter"

Cause of death: Burned alive in Cersei's wildfire explosion at the Sept of Baelor.

Sadness ranking: 8. Margaery saw right through Cersei and would've been a rare ruler: Smart enough to influence others, while kind enough to make a positive impact. Her death was very unexpected and it was sad to see another interesting, exalted character die before she could really get going.

109/

10. Ygritte

"You know nothing, Jon Snow."
HBO

Ygritte was a Wildling woman — or, as she would say, a woman of the Free Folk — who fell in love with Jon Snow during his spy adventure beyond the Wall. She was outspoken, charming, extremely talented with a bow and arrow, and easily able to hold her own in any fight.

Time of death: Season four, episode nine, "The Watchers on the Wall"

Cause of death: Olly shot her with an arrow during the Battle of Castle Black when he saw her arrow pointed at Jon.

Sadness ranking: 8.5. Jon's true love was shot right in front of him, just as he made eye contact with her and let slip a heartbreaking smile. They were doomed from the start, but that didn't make it any easier on us.

110/

9. Rickon Stark

Rickon was just 6 years old when he was introduced on season one.
HBO

Rickon, the youngest of the Stark children, barely spoke and we barely knew him compared to the other Stark kids — but he was adored by his siblings and, impressively, survived through so much.

Time of death: Season six, episode nine, "Battle of the Bastards"

Cause of death: Ramsay Bolton shot an arrow in his back, while pretending to return him to Jon Snow unscathed.

Sadness ranking: 8.5. Ramsay's sadistic way of murdering him was mind-blowingly awful, especially for Jon Snow, who saw it up close. Rickon's return to the show was exciting at first, but as it turns out, he just showed up to tragically die.

111/

8. Maester Luwin

Everyone at Winterfell valued Luwin's wisdom and compassion.
HBO

Maester Luwin was a sweet old man, incredibly loyal to the Starks, and basically served as Bran and Rickon's father figure in Winterfell, especially after Ned's death. He saved Osha by suggesting they keep her as a prisoner, and helped her hide Bran and Rickon from Theon when he was trying to kill them.

Time of death: Season two, episode 10, "Valar Morghulis"

Cause of death: Mercy-killed by Osha after suffering a stab wound when Ramsay's men took over Winterfell.

Sadness ranking: 8.5. He was probably the Starks' most trusted ally, and he suffered a slow, terribly heartbreaking death.

112/

7. Missandei

Missandei was portrayed by Nathalie Emmanuel.
HBO

As a child, Missandei was stolen by slavers from her home in Naath. She later worked as an interpreter for Kraznys mo Nakloz of Astapor, but was bought and freed by Daenerys Targaryen. Missandei decided to stand with Daenerys as she rose to power, serving as her most trusted advisor.

Time of death: Season eight, episode four, "The Last of the Starks"

Cause of death: Beheaded by the Mountain on Cersei Lannister's orders, as retaliation for Daenerys refusing to surrender.

Sadness ranking: 9. As long as we're ranking tragedies, this one's major. Since her introduction on season three, Missandei reigned as one of the show's strongest and most admired characters. She was young, incredibly smart, and remarkably resilient. She lived her entire life either in slavery or fighting a foreign war, and Missandei was finally on the brink of getting some semblance of a happy ending: She had found love and was looking forward to returning to her homeland, at long last.

It's also incredibly frustrating to watch Cersei, universally loathed, mercilessly kill one of Daenerys' last true supporters — and arguably her best friend — right in front of her. Don't even get us started on Grey Worm's heartbreaking reaction. We can only take solace in Missandei's triumphant last stand, her unwavering bravery in the face of death.

6. Oberyn Martell

Ah, Oberyn Martell. The so-called "Red Viper" was our first glimpse of Dorne, and he's still sorely missed. He came to King's Landing to get his deserved revenge on The Mountain, who raped and killed his sister and her children on the orders of Tywin Lannister. Oberyn threw insults left and right at Cersei, and didn't give a damn whom he offended, as long as he got his satisfying revenge. Which he got, sort of. Kind of. Not really.

Time of death: Season four, episode eight, "The Mountain and the Viper"

Cause of death: The Mountain smashed his face and skull with his bare hands in Tyrion's trial by combat.

Sadness ranking: 9. Pedro Pascal only had about 30 minutes of total screentime, so that just goes to show you how effective his performance was. Oberyn was everything we wanted to root for: He was confident, noble, passionate, and tirelessly seeking justice for his family.

Of course, if the prince hadn't been so cocky going up against the freaking Mountain, he probably would've survived and gotten to enjoy his sweet revenge. But season four toyed with our emotions and played with our expectations, leading us to believe that Oberyn would actually get justice and give the Lannisters what they deserved.

But this is "Game of Thrones," so instead, he was given one of the bloodiest and most horrific deaths ever seen on the show. The scene was especially shocking because, at the time, we believed that Oberyn's death surely meant Tyrion's death, too.

114/

5. Robb Stark

The eldest Stark sibling was played by Richard Madden.
HBO

A man with almost as much honor as his father — and with dashing good looks, to boot — Robb Stark made a name for himself as the King of the North when he set out to avenge his father. But Robb really did himself in when he broke his promise to marry one of Walder Frey's daughters and married Talia instead. And he did it for true love, which makes it either more understandable or more tragic. Or both.

Time of death: Season three, episode nine, "The Rains of Castamere"

Cause of death: Shot with an arrow by a Frey, then stabbed in the heart by Roose Bolton.

Sadness ranking: 9.5. Robb was one of the few characters left to root for in the War of the Five Kings and his death was particularly barbaric, especially after his corpse was paraded around with his direwolf's head sewed on top. There's a reason why the Red Wedding is especially infamous on a brutal show like "Game of Thrones."

115/

4. Eddard "Ned" Stark

Sean Bean gave a memorable performance as Ned Stark.
HBO

The ever-honorable Ned Stark, Warden of the North and the Hand of the King, was known by everyone as a stand-up guy. The Stark family patriarch was idolized by his children and respected by nearly every lord in the seven kingdoms. He was way too good for the world of Westeros, but his desire to do the right thing got him (and a lot of other people) killed.

Time of death: Season one, episode nine, "Baelor"

Cause of death: Beheaded by Sir Illyn Payne on a stage in King's Landing, right in front of his daughter Sansa, on Joffrey's orders.

Sadness ranking: 9.5. In the moment, Ned's death hit us hard and we didn't think we'd ever get over it. It was the first moment that we knew that "Game of Thrones" meant serious business and saw no major character as precious. But Ned's death was also the catalyst for every major event on the following seasons, and his spirit lives on with his kids — the ones who are still alive, at least.

116/

3. Catelyn Stark

Catelyn Stark did everything she could to keep her children safe.
HBO / Helen Sloan

Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, was born into House Tully and became a a fierce protector of House Stark. She loved Ned and her children more than she loved herself, and would have done anything for them.

Time of death: Season three, episode nine, "The Rains of Castamere"

Cause of death: Black Walder Rivers slit her throat.

Sadness ranking: 10. The way this scene played out, it seemed like Catelyn was maybe going to make it, which only worsened the heartbroken look on her face as she was quietly, swiftly murdered. Not to mention, she had just watched her eldest son and unborn grandchild get viciously stabbed. It couldn't have been a more brutal way to go.

117/

2. Hodor

"Hodor."
HBO

Hodor worked at the stables in Winterfell. Thanks to his large stature, he was able to carry Bran Stark around after their escape from Theon Greyjoy. Although he was mentally disabled, he was aggressively sweet and fiercely loyal to the Stark family.

Time of death: Season six, episode five, "The Door"

Cause of death: Killed by wights while trying to protect Bran and Meera.

Sadness ranking: 100. Hodor was one of the most-loved characters on the whole series. The saddest part of his death was the simultaneous reveal of his origin story: His mental disability was a direct result of Bran Stark's time-travel warging.

118/

1. Shireen Baratheon

Shireen begged her father to have mercy.
HBO

Shireen was the daughter and only living child of Stannis Baratheon. She had greyscale as a baby, but her father found a cure for her. She was smart, empathetic, and well-read, taking time to teach Davos Seaworth and Gilly how to read. In fact, Davos cared for her like his own daughter, and Shireen cared for every person she came across.

Time of death: Season five, episode nine, "The Dance of Dragons"

Cause of death: Burned alive by Melisandre as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light, on Stannis' order.

Sadness ranking: 1,000. This death was horrifically cruel, even by the standards of this show. It was too hard to watch, and the sacrifice ultimately led nowhere, since Stannis didn't defeat Ramsay's army.